Photo By David Kenas

San Diego’s Keegan Smith had just beaten a player in the world top 10 junior rankings and the No. 1-seed at the ASICS Easter Bowl, but was trying his best to act like it was no big deal.

The unseeded 17-year-old Smith had reason to be bursting with pride and excitement after surviving two match points in his stunning 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6) win over top-seeded and ITF-ranked No. 9 Ulises Blanch of Florida in the first round of the Boys’ ITF singles division at the 49th Annual ASICS Easter Bowl being played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Smith is a junior at Point Loma High School and is the nephew of current USC men’s tennis coach Peter Smith. It would appear Smith would have the upper hand in the recruiting battle, but Keegan is undecided on college and won’t take his official visits until next year. Keegan’s cousin and Peter Smith’s son Riley Smith will play for USC starting in the fall.

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” said Smith. “It’s just the first round and everyone is congratulating me. I actually like playing the better players or players that are supposed to beat me because I just give them what I can and see what happens. I don’t want it to be a fluke and I have people say, ‘that guy (Blanch) was playing horrible.’ ”

He added: “It’s hard not to get a big head about the win, but I’m going to try and not think about it and keep playing. But I’m pretty stoked.”

Smith said he was “kind of mad,” when he saw the draw and his name underneath the No. 1 seed Sunday night. “I’d heard of him but never seen him play. I was like, ‘Dang, I’m missing school and I have to play the No. 1 seed?’ ” Smith said. “But as the night progressed I just started thinking there was as much pressure on him as there is on me and so I might as well just go out and play.”

Smith, who works with Angel Lopez in San Diego once a week, said he froze while returning a Blanch serve down 4-6 in the third-set tiebreaker, knowing he could lose the match. “Right when I was returning I was thinking, ‘This is it,’ but once I’m into the point I’m into it,” he said.

Although he had to be reminded of it by reporters interviewing him about it after the match, Smith saved the first match point by hitting a great second serve return at the feet of an approaching Blanch.

Smith, whose father is Peter Smith’s brother, has played mostly Southern California events, but did win the singles title at the New Balance High School Tennis Championships in Massachusetts last summer.

It was a day of upsets on the “Show Court 2” where the ASICS Easter Bowl will be providing live streaming all week as each of the first three matches on that court saw seeded players fall. Before No. 2 boys’ ITF player J.J. Wolf and No. 4 girls’ ITF player Michaela Gordon won straight-set matches on the court, No. 2 ITF Easter Bowl seed Kylie McKenzie, Blanch and then No. 10 Jade Lewis (ITF girls) all lost matches on the court.

The day started with McKenzie of Anthem, Ariz., losing to Elysia Bolton of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 7-5, 7-5. McKenzie was a semifinalist here last year upsetting No. 3-seeded Sonya Kenin in the quarterfinals. The final round of eight was how far McKenzie got at last year’s Junior U.S Open.

Last week in Carson, Bolton of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., defeated the tough Hurricane Tyra Black in straight sets before falling to the No. 6-seeded Gordon.

“It definitely helped my tennis (having that big win last week). I’m definitely playing great tennis and hope to keep it going. My goal was to stay calm when I could and to stay in the rallies and finish off points when I could.”

To keep up with all the ASICS Easter Bowl news, visit the website at www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl). For more information on ASICS, check out: www.ASICSAmerica.com and follow on Twitter @ASICSAmerica.